segasaiga 0 Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 I just acquired a NIB 762x39 Saiga and was taking it apart to clean it. I noticed the firing pin was just floating back and forth when I was getting the factory lube off. It had no tension at all. This seemed way wrong to me, so I took out the firing pin by knocking the retainer pin out. The firing pin slid out of the channel with no spring or anything. Anyone know what the deal is with that? Ive never taken a bolt apart before and I have no idea how im going to get the retainer pin back in right. Im going to leave it disassembled until I find out if this is normal. The manual states that there IS a firing pin spring. Help! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nalioth 405 Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 Why is it wrong? 60 million Kalashnikovs have been made that way. "Spring loaded firing pins" are the 'lawyer lock' of the AK world.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
yakdung 2,926 Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 All my Kalashnikov's are built that way. Do not worry about the small stuff just shoot the piss out of it. Yakdung Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kresk 10,063 Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 Checked a recent manual--yep, they show a spring. Just shows you--can't believe everything you read. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
segasaiga 0 Posted March 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 No way - are you guys sure this is normal? Ive checked out the saiga 308 firing pin and the S12 that friends own and they both have tension - are wasr10s and other variants like this? Sorry to doubt you guys, but I just want to be sure. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
vbrtrmn 167 Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 Some firing pins have springs, some don't. It was the same with the SKS, even the Yugo 59/66, one of the nicest ever made, doesn't have a spring on the firing pin. I was confused as shit, I have one which had a bad bolt, I thought the previous owner removed the spring... then looked at the parts diagram and realized it was supposed to be that way. Check out Numrich's parts list for AK/AKS.. http://www.e-gunparts.com/productschem.asp...del=101ZzAK/AKS 1055760 Bolt, Complete, Floating Firing Pin Model Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nalioth 405 Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 No way - are you guys sure this is normal? Ive checked out the saiga 308 firing pin and the S12 that friends own and they both have tension - are wasr10s and other variants like this? Sorry to doubt you guys, but I just want to be sure. If you wanted to call someone ignorant, you should have asked on the snooty cat forum instead of wasting yours and our time. Both of those Saigas you mention are not "standard" Kalashnikovs. Their bolts and carriers have been reworked for better function in their chamberings. During the redesign, adding a spring cost the designers nothing. You will find no firing pin springs in any standard mlitary caliber AK (with a couple of exceptions - both prompted by lawyers). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
segasaiga 0 Posted March 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 Some firing pins have springs, some don't. It was the same with the SKS, even the Yugo 59/66, one of the nicest ever made, doesn't have a spring on the firing pin. I was confused as shit, I have one which had a bad bolt, I thought the previous owner removed the spring... then looked at the parts diagram and realized it was supposed to be that way. Check out Numrich's parts list for AK/AKS.. http://www.e-gunparts.com/productschem.asp...del=101ZzAK/AKS 1055760 Bolt, Complete, Floating Firing Pin Model Oh wow.. Youre right! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
segasaiga 0 Posted March 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 If you wanted to call someone ignorant, you should have asked on the snooty cat forum instead of wasting yours and our time. Are you serious? When did I call anyone ignorant? I doubt anyone else here thinks im wasting anyones time - why would the service manual state theres a firing pin spring if there isnt one? Snooty Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dftc 0 Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 Both my Saiga and my Romanian 7.62x39 AKs have floating firing pins. My .223 Saiga has a spring. The 7.62's are just designed to be that way. It doesn't hurt anything to have it float. Just think of it as one less small part to worry about breaking down the road. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mstranglr 9 Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 Almost all AKs, for the exception of some Chinese, Russian, and Bulgarians, have a free-floating firing pin. M16 / AR15 / M4 rifles have a free-floating firing pin. FALs have a free-floating pin. M1 Carbines, Garands, and M1As have free-floating firing pins. Most SKSs have a free-floating pin. Bottom line = almost all military pattern rifles have a free-floating firing pin. Military ammo is hard primed so slam fires are rarely an issue. The AK platform seems to have the fewest issues with slam fire of them all, mostly because 99% of the ammo in use is imported stuff with hard primers. SKSs, especially Russian ones, have a very heavy pin and a tight pin channel and seem to really benefit from the aftermarket spring installation. I have had SKSs go full auto on me. But I have probably seen more M1As slam fire than any gun. A couple of guys have chambered the first round from the magazine and had their rifles go bang. Issues with free-floating firing pins in AKs are almost unheard of, so I wouldn't worry about it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
segasaiga 0 Posted March 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 Thanks for the info! I was wrong to doubt you guys at first. Thats why I love this forum - its top notch. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
555JM 10 Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 Thanks for posting this thread, segasaiga. Was looking over my new x39 Saiga ('06 vintage) last night and noticed the same thing. Thought it odd, but figured someone had chosen a low mass firing pin, done the calculations, and determined the spring was unnecessary. Still, the comment about hard-primed military ammo doesn't always apply. I'll be shooting handloads in mine....at least until Wolf ammo availability improves. I thought, with components on hand, why not? Maybe this is "why not". Now I've got something to watch out for. Bob Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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